Keeping babies with other tortoises

[puffy137]

Keeping babies with other tortoises helps them to obtain immunity from many diseases , try to keep them with others.

 

[Yvonne G]

Keeping babies with other tortoises helps them to obtain immunity from many diseases , try to keep them with others.

Really? Where did you hear/read this? I've been taking care of turtles and tortoises for over 40 years and this is a first for me.

 

[Abdulla6169]

Keeping babies with other tortoises helps them to obtain immunity from many diseases , try to keep them with others.

This is not true my dear friend... Although I understand your logic, you have to look at it differently. Tortoises are solitary animals that live alone, they do not need companions or friends. The only time a tortoise will seek another tortoise in the wild is for mating. If two foreign tortoises encounter each other in the wild, they may nip each other & once will try to chase the other away... Here are some problems that might occur:
1- The tortoise may be prone to parasites from other tortoises
2-Here are some problems produced by the stress of being with another tortoise: lack of appetite, always hiding, upper respiratory tract infections become more likely, a runny nose, chronic stress, wounds from tortoises biting each other, I've once read chronic stress may result in an egg bound female...
3- In the end this may result in death.
Thanks for taking the time to read this

 

[puffy137]

I have incubated eggs a few times without success. I realised after reading it somewhere that they need to develope their immune systems by picking up the bacteria that live normally on adult tortoises. We also have very hot sun here , I try to give them as much shade as I can , & after feeding them separately from the adults each morning I bury them in a cool shallow hollow, from which they can escape if the so wish. All 12 babies are now doing well eating lots of lettuce etc, . Wish I could show you their pics , but I'm afraid its not working for me.

 

[puffy137]

Thank you Ali for your expert advice. As a child I had a very lonely tortoise called Jack , poor thing , the only time he showed any interest in anything but food was when I held him up to my face & stuck my tongue out , surely this meant he was hoping I was another tortoise, lol

 

[Abdulla6169]

I have incubated eggs a few times without success. I realised after reading it somewhere that they need to develope their immune systems by picking up the bacteria that live normally on adult tortoises. We also have very hot sun here , I try to give them as much shade as I can , & after feeding them separately from the adults each morning I bury them in a cool shallow hollow, from which they can escape if the so wish. All 12 babies are now doing well eating lots of lettuce etc, . Wish I could show you their pics , but I'm afraid its not working for me.

I suggest you see this list of plants that @Tom usually gives to new members:
"Here are some suggestions:
Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

Other good stuff:
"Testudo Seed Mix" from http://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes
Pasture mixes or other seeds from http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html
Homegrown alfalfa
Mazuri Tortoise Chow
ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food"
Also, here are some nice plant lists:
http://www.tlady.clara.net/TortGuid....tlady.clara.net/TortGuide/diet.htm#plantlist

http://africantortoise.com/edible_landscaping.htm]http://africantortoise.com/edible_landscaping.htm

http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/plants_19.asp]http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/plants_19.asp

 

[puffy137]

Hello Abdulla. As you are in Abu Dhubi, you probably have an outside paddock for your tortoises, like me , they will get plenty of sunshine , but what do you feed yours on ?

 

[puffy137]

Hello Abdulla. As you are in Abu Dhubi, you probably have an outside paddock for your tortoises, like me , they will get plenty of sunshine , but what do you feed yours on ?

 

[Abdulla6169]

Hello Abdulla. As you are in Abu Dhubi, you probably have an outside paddock for your tortoises, like me , they will get plenty of sunshine , but what do you feed yours on ?

This is getting of topic, so I'll message you whatever I want to tell you

 

[puffy137]

Wow brilliant , I grow geraniums in a green house, always wondered if I could give them the odd yellowed leaf. Wonder if they would partake of the multitude of bougainvillea leaves that I have around the place.

 

[puffy137]

BTW, my cousin in UK was baby sitting a Burmese star tortoise when I happened to be visiting her, she picked up the tortoise to introduce me to it & I gave my usual tongue poking out greeting, the poor creature urinated all over my cousin's jeans , which caused some hilarity, when I did it a second time I think my poor coz really felt I was making it react on purpose. Oh dear !

 

[puffy137]

So confusing , tried to answer you on yahoo & it failed

 

[pepsiandjac]

BTW, my cousin in UK was baby sitting a Burmese star tortoise when I happened to be visiting her, she picked up the tortoise to introduce me to it & I gave my usual tongue poking out greeting, the poor creature urinated all over my cousin's jeans , which caused some hilarity, when I did it a second time I think my poor coz really felt I was making it react on purpose. Oh dear !

The poor tortoise was obviously frightened ,so why would you want to make it urinate again

 

[puffy137]

The poor tortoise was obviously frightened ,so why would you want to make it urinate again

 

[puffy137]

Frightened ? surely not , the way a tortoise displays fear is to go into its shell , this one was excited as it thought I was another tortoise.

 

[puffy137]

Really? Where did you hear/read this? I've been taking care of turtles and tortoises for over 40 years and this is a first for me.

 

[puffy137]

I honestly can't remember where I learnt this, but after trying unsucessfully to incubate eggs , I think it must be right.

 

[Abdulla6169]

I don't believe that's true... If you have a successful herd living peacefully that's really great but smaller tortoises may be bullied. I'd be afraid of competition between them, I don't believe in the building immunity part. Mainly because in the wild, there are no other tortoises... Them incubating better may mean things like:
1- better temperatures & humidity
2- more fertile females

 

[Abdulla6169]

Frightened ? surely not , the way a tortoise displays fear is to go into its shell , this one was excited as it thought I was another tortoise.

Tortoises pee on people when they are really stressed, almost happened with me once. Sometimes they are moving all about on your hands (trying to get away) and then choose to pee on the holder...

 

[puffy137]

I don't believe that's true... If you have a successful herd living peacefully that's really great but smaller tortoises may be bullied. I'd be afraid of competition between them, I don't believe in the building immunity part. Mainly because in the wild, there are no other tortoises... Them incubating better may mean things like:
1- better temperatures & humidity
2- more fertile females